David Vandver

Conservation, Environment, Journalism, Social Issues

DEC 10: Award-winning Filmmaker John de Graaf

November 22, 2018

“John de Graaf is one of the good guys in our world, always right there with the next important, life-affirming idea,” says The Giraffe Project’s Ann Medlock. Beginning in the late 70’s, John embarked on an award-winning documentary film career that continues to this day.

Today we’ll explore John’s extensive career as a filmmaker and activist, and why he does what he does. We’ll hear about his latest film, REDEFINING PROSPERTIY, and some of the activism he’s engaged in. We’ll discover how John chooses projects, and how he navigated his own prolific creative path while still making a difference in people’s lives.

“I’m an author, filmmaker, speaker, and activist with a mission to help create a happy, healthy, and sustainable quality of life for America,” reads John’s mission statement.

With over 40 documentaries and countless shorter films to his credit, he has received over 100 regional, national, and international awards for filmmaking. 15 of his films have been broadcast nationally in primetime on PBS, and he has taught filmmaking at the University of Washington, Evergreen State College, and Boston University’s Center for Digital Imaging Arts.

Essays, Humor, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

DEC 03: Sara Ruhl’s Letters From Max & Matt Geiger’s Astonishing Tales

November 9, 2018

Sara Ruhl is a distinguished playwright and author, Tony award nominee, and two time Pulitzer Prize finalist. In 2012, exuberant and opinionated Max Ritvo took her playwriting class at Yale University, proving himself a highly gifted poet. Max was also in remission from pediatric cancer. Over the course of four years, Sara watched Max blossom as his illness returned and his health declined, exchanging a series of letters with him that changed the way she looked at life, death, and the unexpected connections one makes along the way. She shares these urgency and humor filled exchanges in Letters From Max: A Book of Friendship.

Sara’s plays have won numerous awards, and have been produced all over the country and internationally, including on Broadway.

Matt Geiger, our second guest, says “Anytime I’m able to talk about Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov in a single interview, I’m happy!” So Vicki makes him happy and asks why. We’ll chat about his latest book Astonishing Tales: Your Astonishment May Vary – a collection of stories and essays.

Matt is a humorist, essayist, and award-winning journalist and author, who lives in Wisconsin with his wife, daughter, ten animals, and several metaphysical questions.

Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Self-help

NOV 26: Ronald J. Frey’s Feeling Better & Melanie Salvatore-August’s Fierce Kindness

November 9, 2018

Ronald J. Frey, PhD., believes the answer to easing stress or depression doesn’t have to come from a bottle of pills. Along with co-author Cindy Goodman Stulberg, Ronald empowers you to get through periods of depression without relying on pharmaceuticals in Feeling Better: Beat Depression and Improve Your Relationships with Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

Ronald is a former acting chief psychologist for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a registered forensic and clinical psychologist, and is codirector of the Institute for Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

Later, the holidays are a time for food, fun, and of course, family. But for many of us, a little bit of family can go a long ways. Yogi and Fierce Kindness author Melanie Salvatore-August returns to Conversations Live to share tips on how to remain grounded and sane during family get-togethers.

Melanie is a YogaWork Senior Teacher Trainer and creator of the Fierce Kindness movement, teaching many students and educating hundreds of teachers to be a positive force for change in their own lives and the world.

Health & Wellness, Personal Development, Self-help, Women's Issues

NOV 12: Tammy Nelson’s The New Monogamy & Jennifer Cohen and Gina LaRoche’s The 7 Laws of Enough

November 3, 2018

There are many misconceptions about why a woman cheats on her partner. In The New Monogamy, sex therapist Tammy Nelson, PhD, argues that freedom to have a discreet affair can be empowering, healing, and ultimately improve a marriage.

Tammy is a sex and relationship expert, an international speaker, an author and a licensed psychotherapist with almost thirty years of experience working with individuals and couples.

Also, if you’re one of the many who feel the growing gap between the haves and have nots, it can leaving you feeling left behind, and less-than. Leadership consultants Jennifer Cohen and Gina Laroche say you are enough, you have enough, and there is enough to go around. We’ll explore solutions to help you ditch scarcity thinking in The 7 Laws of Enough: Cultivating a Life of Sustainable Abundance.

Jennifer is cofounder of Seven Stones Leadership Group and a speaker and author, known for coaching world-class leaders from institutions including Harvard Business School and Simmons.

Gina is also a cofounder of Seven Stones Leadership Group and a leading organizational consultant, executive coach, keynote speaker, author and artist.

Fiction, Writers on Writing

NOV 05: Marie Lu’s WILDCARD, Lisa Unger’s Under My Skin, & Lou Berney’s November Road

October 22, 2018

#1 New York Times bestseller Marie Lu joins Vicki today to discuss her new book WILDCARD: It’s Time for a Rematch. She’ll share how her experiences in the gaming industry aid her in creating rich and magnificent worlds that appeal to a wide spectrum of readers.

Marie emigrated to the US from China at 5, and to learn English her mother would make her take new words she learned every week and write a story with them. She is now a bestselling author with a film deal for her novel, The Young Elites.

Next, throughout her career, Lisa Unger has toed the fine line between literary novels and commercial thrillers, all the while staying on the New York Times bestseller lists and earning critical acclaim. Her latest book, Under My Skin, was named one of the most anticipated thrillers of the fall.

Lisa is a New York Times and international bestselling, award-winning author of sixteen novels.

Finally, award-winning author Lou Berney captures the precariousness of femininity in November Road. His latest novel is a thriller, historical fiction, a love story, a work of feminism — above all it’s a compelling piece of storytelling.

Lou Berney is the author of three previous novels, and his short fiction has appeared in publications such as The New Yorker, Ploughshares, and the Pushcart Prize anthology.

Personal Development, Women's Issues

OCT 29: Ann Grant’s The Divorce Hacker & Madeline Bernstein’s Expose on Designer Dogs

October 15, 2018

You’ve seen countless life hack articles, but what about a hack to get through one of the most difficult events in life? Ann Grant, JD, offers The Divorce Hacker’s Guide to Untying the Knot for navigating the churning waters of divorce. Learn how to know when it’s time to give up on therapy, steps you should take BEFORE filing, and the way the new tax law will impact you. Most importantly, Ann will debunk the notion that a woman can’t create a new and better life on her own.

Ann Grant began her career as a corporate litigator specializing in unfair business practices and consumer fraud. Following her divorce she created her own firm, focusing on family law and a holistic approach to this life transition.

Designer Dogs: An Exposé Inside the Criminal Underworld of Crossbreeding — the title of Madeline Bernstein’s new book tells you exactly what we’ll discuss today, and why it’s so important to share this information and raise awareness of crossbreeding atrocities. The breeder who first introduced ‘designer dogs’ in the form of the Labradoodle, says if he knew how far people would take this unhealthy and dangerous obsession, he would never have started it.

Madeline Bernstein is the President of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles (spcaLA). A frequent speaker and commentator on issues relating to animal welfare, ethics, and law enforcement, she advocates for humane treatment and respect for animals.

Environment, Travel & Adventure

OCT 22: National Geographic’s Cara Santa Maria & #1 NYT Bestseller Karen Kingsbury

October 7, 2018

Unleash your inner scientist! Today’s show is going to be filled with fun facts like how chameleons change color, the science behind addiction, and how the polar jet stream works. National Geographic’s Almanac 2019 also reviews top travel trends, new explorations and recent discoveries. National Geographic Explorer correspondent Cara Santa Maria joins Vicki today to discuss all that and more!

Cara is an award-winning science journalist and creator and host of the popular science podcast Talk Nerdy. She is also a correspondent on Netflix’s Bill Nye Saves the World.

Karen Kingsbury has a huge following with more than 50 books in print, and several in movie format. She’s a #1 New York Times bestselling author and describes herself as “an Evangelist wrapped up as a novelist”.

How did she go from LA Times sports-writer to true-crime author to “Queen of Christian Fiction”? What significant turning points in her life led to spiritually-guided storytelling success? And why did she create a new, standalone book based on two of the Baxter-series’ characters?

Join us to find out and get a sneak preview of When We Were Young, a story of troubling issues around social media obsession ( … as usual with Karen’s books, you might want a box of tissues handy!).

Fiction, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

OCT 15: Joseph Olshan’s Black Diamond Fall & James Swallow’s Nomad

October 6, 2018

In a constantly changing publishing world, two writers and authors have managed to sustain thriving careers. Today, we’ll find out how they stay ahead of the game.

First, Joseph Olshan returns to discuss how he drove the publishing path for his tenth book, Black Diamond Fall, without an agent, and whether or not it is a direction he would continue to go in. Joseph is an award-winning author of 10 novels and is the editorial director of Delphinium Books. He will be appearing at University Bookstore in Seattle on October 18 at 6pm.

Later, from videogames, to audio dramas, to science fiction, to the first in a new thriller series with his new book Nomad, there is virtually no writing genre too big for James Swallow. Today he’ll share how he approaches writing a game differently than, say, a novel. James is a British author and scriptwriter. A BAFTA nominee, Scribe Award winner, New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon bestseller, he is the author of over 45 original books and tie-in novels, along with numerous short stories, audio dramas and videogames.

Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Self-help, Social Issues, Women's Issues

OCT 08: Linda Graham’s Resilience & Alexia Vernon’s Step Into Your Moxie

September 30, 2018

Do you stoically remain calm and together during a traumatic event? Or are you more likely to fall apart? Resilience: Powerful Practices for Bouncing Back from Disappointment, Difficulty, and even Disaster by Linda Graham, MFT, examines our brain’s built-in negativity bias, offering ways to improve your ability to withstand hardships and create positive change.

Linda is an experienced psychotherapist who integrates modern neuroscience, mindfulness practices, and relational psychology in her international trainings on resilience and well-being. She is a past winner of the Books for a Better Life Award.

Recent headlines have proven that women still have a long way to go to overcome patriarchal prejudices. Forget payscale for a moment, and other more obvious gender inequalities. We’re talking about being taken seriously as a valued human being. We’re talking about being heard when we say NO. When we file complaints about abuse or harassment. When we claim the right to express our feelings.

If you have trouble speaking up for yourself, join us and Step Into Your Moxie.

Alexia Vernon, branded “Moxie Maven” by President Obama’s White House Office of Public Engagement, is a leadership coach for Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations. With a graduate degree in women’s studies, she’s been featured on major networks and in publications such as Forbes Woman and Women’s Health.

Fiction, Inspirational, Memoir, Social Issues, Women's Issues, Writers on Writing

SEP 24: Linda Kay Klein’s PURE and Joseph Olshan’s Black Diamond Falls

September 21, 2018

On the heels of the MeToo movement comes Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free. Linda Kay Klein shares how the system of mind-and-body shaming works, showing the connection between purity culture and rape culture, and the importance of facing your fears and standing up to sexual shaming.

Linda is the founder of Break Free Together, and has spent over a decade working at the cross section of faith, gender, and social change.

Inspired by the actual disappearance of a student at Middlebury College and the vandalism of the nearby Robert Frost Homestead, Black Diamond Fall is an evocative portrait of love between a younger and older man. Author Joseph Olshan joins us for part one of a two part conversation today to discuss this latest in his line of riveting mysteries.

Joseph is an award-winning author of 10 novels and is the editorial director of Delphinium Books. He will be appearing at University Bookstore in Seattle on October 18 at 6pm.

DEC 03: Sara Ruhl’s Letters From Max & Matt Geiger’s Astonishing Tales

NOV 26: Ronald J. Frey’s Feeling Better & Melanie Salvatore-August’s Fierce Kindness

NOV 12: Tammy Nelson’s The New Monogamy & Jennifer Cohen and Gina LaRoche’s The 7 Laws of Enough

NOV 05: Marie Lu’s WILDCARD, Lisa Unger’s Under My Skin, & Lou Berney’s November Road

OCT 29: Ann Grant’s The Divorce Hacker & Madeline Bernstein’s Expose on Designer Dogs

OCT 22: National Geographic’s Cara Santa Maria & #1 NYT Bestseller Karen Kingsbury

OCT 15: Joseph Olshan’s Black Diamond Fall & James Swallow’s Nomad

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